Da Pazolasta vs. Yes Please

Hi-

So nothing truly exciting to report on the home front- the kids are doing well, Aaron is excited it is Friday and has already booked his tee time for tomorrow morning as he desperately needs some daddy time and Mama has been at the office all week, and the kids are starting to be okay with Aga - though not in the same room...

But here is what I am thinking about today. When do we stop speaking Russian to the kids? We learned a fair amount of Russian (nothing fancy, just toddler Russian, maybe 75 phrases) before we took custody and have been speaking a mix of Russian and English all along- more in Russian when we speak directly to them and then in English around them and to them occassionally.

Now, I would say that THE BEST THING we did in adopting 2 verbal toddlers was learn some Russian. I know there are those out there that think full immersion is best and that they dont have time to learn Russian etc etc etc but I honestly cannot fathom how hard things would have been if we could not communicate, soothe, talk and play with them in Russian. Especially in country and the first week home. I am not sure how people do that but I would say it would make your life way less difficult if you could learn a bit of Russian to help you along...

But we may have erred on the other side of the equation....We are pretty sure they "get" about 90% of the English spoken at home-- especially Ana as she chirps in often with her opinion even when we are speaking exclusivly in English. But their vocabulary is still pretty limited- 2 and 3 word sentences mostly. This is okay and normal for Sasha as he is only 2 but Ana's Russian vocab is much higher- she is/was speaking in full sentences and she still prefers to speak Russian I think as she usually does... So, while it is awesome to actually be able to communicate with them and I would not trade that for anything- do we at some point go cold turkey on Russian to get their English vocab ramped up? I understand that Ana will 'lose' her Russian before the English really kicks in (that is what the experts say anyway) but are we hindering her English skills by continuing in Russian? I for one would love to stop speaking Russian so much- it confuses me when I am out and about and I keep talking to waitresses etc at business meetings in Russian- which is just weird....

I am also seriously considering letting them watch more TV- now they watch about 1/2 hour of Sprout a day, but I think it does help their receptive language and am considering upping that to at least an hour- I just need buy in from Aaron on that one!

So any ideas on language acquistion or if we should go cold turkey on Russian at home are welcome!

SKB

Bye Bye Docteur

Hi Everyone-

Sorry it has been a couple days- things have been busy in Brand Land! The rest of our weekend was fine and dandy- nothing major to report. But yesterday was our first big doctor's appointment. So, Mama cleared her work calendar and off the 4 of us went to the UW Adoption Clinic for Pediatric Medicine (whew, long name) for the kids check up with our favorite pediatrician Dr. Davies. As some of you know Dr. Davies helped us evaluate Ana and Sasha from 14,000 miles away on Trip 1 and then on Trip 2 he was super duper awesome with helping figure out what was wrong with Sasha when he was sick and helping us figure out how to treat it. So, YAY Dr Davies. He was great with the kids and did better than anyone else could have. The visit on the whole, however, was pretty darn traumatic for the following reasons:
- underground parking garage (the kids have a very real fear of something being over their heads in terms of tunnels, overpasses, underground parking etc- no idea why but both of them have this little quirk) but they were troopers and didnt freak out too much. And they made it onto the elevators too so good for them!
-Then lots of paperwork for Mommy while Papa played with the kids and some waiting around.
-Off to be weighed and have our height and hearing test taken- all pretty okay- not too scary but still stressful, especially when we had to take off our beloved tufli (shoes) for part of it- that is still hard for Ana as she loves her shoes and doesnt want them to dissappear.
-The clinic had a translator there- apparently that is required if one of the kids is over 3 years old- we tried to tell them that Ana wouldnt talk to a stranger but c'est la vie. She was a nice lady but I think she wasted her morning. She decided to leave before the actual exam because it was obvious that it wasnt something we needed and we were all behind schedule.
-Then we had some more waiting and the kids had to change into these cute hospital gowns- which they did not like at all! And then Mama and Papa and the doctor talking for what seemed like forever and then the EXAM- Sasha went first and he was very very good and passed with flying colors. He may need a tonsilectimy (sp?) but it is not an emergency so we just received a referral to a specialist for him and then it was on to Ana. She was so not interested in being examined I cannot begin to explain it. It is scary and yucky I know but Papa was holding her and the Dr. was being great but she just hated it. So it turned into a very quick exam to lessen the drama and trauma all around. All seems fine though so that is great! She did learn the word Doctor though on the way in (Docteur if she is saying it) and she spent the whole time crying and saying NO DOCTEUR, NO DOCTEUR- Yikes!

Then the shots! They each had to have a couple shots - just the dire ones and we are back for more in a couple weeks. And then the blood draw- 4 vials each. This was the worst part- both kids hated it so much and especially poor Sasha - it was like his poor little heart was being ripped out. I do think it may have been more traumatic for me than for them in the end. But they both survived, the people in the lobby of the lab must have thought we were murdering them, but they survived. The lollipops in Mama's diaper bag helped. As we got into the car (which they were so happy to see) Ana started chanting "Bye Bye Docteur, Bye Bye Docteur" and got Sasha to join in. They did this the whole way home almost, only interspersing the chorus of their favorite ditty, "I want to go home aka Nasha Dom" every now and again. Funny.

Mama took off for the office for a few hours and Papa held down the fort with some lunch, nap time and play. A couple minutes after Mama got home we had a scare while Sasha tumbled down 6 steps downstairs, but he bounced right back up. Thank goodness kids are so pliable and resilient- I guess that is why they are also clumsy and fall down?!? Then dinner and bed. They actually got on my lap and let me read them a story- a first for us!!! It was sooo exciting. And I got to stay in the room with them until they fell asleep- no tears or screaming about No Mama! I think we are making real progress there. I mean Aaron had to be in the room too, but still, real progress is being made on the Mama at bed time front and that is good. I guess they must trust me more after the trial by fire that was the Dr.'s office. So, YAY!

Gotta Go!
SKB

Family Party!!!

Hi Everyone-

Well today was the awesome family party that Baba Marta, Aunt Robin and Elizabeth threw for us at Robin's house. It was great. A quick rundown:
Thankfully, the kids love being in the car. So other than 3 stops to pee (or to think about peeing) they loved the drive up to Robin's. We got there around 11:30 and the festivities began. Marta is so smart that she brought a whole toy basket of toys with her- so all the kids there would have things to play with. Ours dove right in and out came slinkies and blocks and bears- they had a good time! People started arriving en masse and yes, our kids got super shy, super fast. We figured this would happen but honestly they were so great- no tears, no freak outs, nothing like that. Seriously shy and attached to one of us at all times for the first couple of hours, then some tentative play and looking around for about an hour and then it was a free for all of fun. They were running around the table, going from patio to kitchen to bathroom and back- zig zagging around guests, laughing and smiling. They were careful to always keep an eye out for Aaron or I, which is a good sign, and it was a hugely successful day.

Highlights:
-"Happy" the dog on the patio- helped Ana get a little bit closer to the idea of petting a dog
-Cookies friom the fabulous spread of food put out by Robin, Marta and Elizabeth. YUM was the word of the day from the kids on that one.
-Sasha shaking Poppy Nick's hand- it was hilarious and I wish I had it on tape!
-Ana laughing and smiling and running through the house.

It was so nice to see the family- because of the chicken pox and the fact they live a couple hours away we hadnt seen everyone and many of the kids before today. It was awesome for our little ones to get to see the whole family in action and they really enjoyed it. Thank you so much Robin and Tom, Marta and Craig and Elizabeth and Pop! Here is a pic of Sasha and Craig reading at the party!

Aaron just got our super duper over stimulated kids to sleep and they did not love that part of the day. That is what too much fun, too much sugar and no nap will do to you but it was so worth it.

I feel bad though because this evening Aaron is making a big sacrifice. We realized at around 5pm that tonight is Wilder and Tonje's wedding! We have been so wrapped up in our world and the kids and all the new experiences that it slipped our minds- bad bad Aaron and Sarah! As many of you know, Wilder was in our wedding as a groomsman and he and Aaron have know each other since they were little. Well, we were obviously supposed to be there and Aaron and Wilder talked a couple of weeks ago and they knew he was a maybe and I was a no (because 2 kids at a night wedding is so not my style, for anyone involved) and we were hoping the kids would go down quickly and easily and Aaron would get to go. They have been hard this evening but they are finally asleep so while he missed the ceremony (which is technically okay because they really got married several months ago due to immigration issues as Tonje is Canadian) and dinner he is on his way as I type this to go to the reception for a couple hours. Personally I am so tired after today's festivities that I cannot imagine where he is getting the energy but I think it has something to do with the fact that we have not been "out" since before we left for Russia and he needs some peer socialization that doesnt include toddler speak in Russian. :) Trust me, I get it. I go to the office and talk to grown ups all day- he talks to Ana and Sasha- that is HARD and I wouldnt be able to do it without going a bit loo loo and he has been just awesome. He has only had a few golf breaks etc since we got back so if he needs to let his hair down with one of his oldest friends then woo hoo- go for it, be safe, and you turn into a pumpkin at midnight mister!

Lets all just keep our fingers crossed the babies stay asleep! That would be nice for Mama. :)

SKB

Who is that doggie in the window?

Hi Everyone-

So today was my first completely full day away from the kiddos. I had to leave the house at 6am to go up to B'ham to get some work done and I was gone from 6am to 7pm. I have been on a modified schedule to give Aaron a bit of respite in the afternoons and today was a real test of his stamina. The kids were a bit put off that I was not there when they woke up but they rallied well with a song about their new shoes that they sang over the phone to me at breakfast time. So cute.

Apparently the rest of the day went pretty well- a visit from Aunt Marion, Uncle Jim and Baby Mitzi was well received and everyone had good times. I got home just in time for dinner and Sasha had me hold him on my lap to feed him- he was in need of a little 'baby' time and I was more than happy to oblige. For those of you not well versed in 'attachment adoption parenting' if the kiddos tell you they need to be babied- they do! It is because they did not get the baby time when they were physically babies and this helps them feel secure and loved. So if he needs to be fed on my lap occassionally and is aware enough to know this and ask for it then woo-hoo we will do it his way!

We are having some bed time trauma (or Aaron is, they still dont like me in the room at bedtime due to bad memories of bed time) and they are not interested in sleep tonight- more so than usual it seems. But I am SURE we will prevail in this and Aaron will get them settled and off to dream land, where they will stay for at least 3 hours if we are lucky!

But the really good news from today is that we decided to pursue the whole kid-doggie connection a bit more agressively. We have been very diligent about the kids and the dog being very very separated- because the kids are scared. We have done everything you are supposed to do with the dog play outside and kids watching inside from the window and vice versa. We have watched videos of Aga, we have watched Mama play with Aga, Papa play with Aga. We even have the kids playing "Aga Sabaka" with each other where they pretend to be dogs and run around "arfing" and giving doggie kisses. But this has not translated to them being willing to be anywhere near her- to date we have always needed a real door or a window between them or there have been terrified tears and screams.

So, due to that fact and because it was pouring and Aga couldnt stay outside for long periods of time today we decided that if we just put her in the laundry room/office area and put a bigger baby gate up between there and the play room then the kids would eventually deal with her being that close. Aaron just refused to shut the big door and said that's it- the giant baby gate is safe and you will be fine. It worked! They were not thrilled to say the least but they do seem a little less averse at the end of the day. I think maybe in a couple of days they may even let her in the same room. It was also good for Aga- she got to watch them more closely and get more used to their sounds and actions- always a good thing. I think she honestly is waiting for them to go home so she can have her mommy and daddy back - but she will be fine once everyone starts loving each other! So YAY- maybe by next week we will be one big happy family and Aga will be able to sleep in our room again and not be shuttled around the house based on where the kids are moving to each moment. She will be so much happier and so will we!

I mean, look at the pictures above, is this a dog you couldnt just want to cuddle up too??

SKB

Weekend happenings

Hi Everyone-

So we had our first official outing this weekend! The kids are no longer contagious- YAY!! Ana still has a couple spots but they are on their way out and the doc says that because they have already come and done their thing we are good. So, to celebrate, we went to the park! The picture above was taken as we were heading out the door. Sasha is so funny, he smiles all of the time- expect at picture time. Ana is more of a ham, she loves having her pic taken and will smile and goof any time!

It was a sunny Saturday morning here in Seattle- this past week has been super HOT (in the 90's) so we loaded up ye old minivan with kids, diaper bag, snacks, sunscreen etc -amazing what you need to go to the park these days -- and off we went to the park a couple of miles from our house. It was super fun- Ana and Sasha played on the slide for an hour, up and down, up and down - they had a blast. It was also good for them to see other little kids I think. But some little park kids are mean! Poor Sasha got pushed by a little girl who was trying to cut in line at the slide and he fell down one step and on his bottom. Well, he was just fine- brushed himself off and sort of looked at her like "hey, we are in line here lady" but man, her dad was HORRIFIED. I guess around here people worry that you might sue if their kid pushes your kid? At least that is what he was worried about. Yikes, my kid was fine, his kid was fine, make her say sorry and off to the races- does that make me a bad mom? I just dont think it is good to get all worked up about a small "incident" (if it can even be called that) like this- if he isnt bleeding or broken or crying why make a big deal out of it? Oh well, maybe I am too old school, who knows.

It is odd- someone we know very well asked if "our kids are bullies because of their 'rough' beginning" - apart from being a dumb, and somewhat insensitive question, it made me think. Our kids are better at sharing than any kids I know. We have a lot of 3 and 2 year olds in our circle of friends, all good kids, but I can tell you that my babies are better at sharing! They are very kind with each other and if, for example, we are playing bubbles, one is very good at blowing bubbles and then reloading and handing to the other for her/his turn. Truly cute to watch. They also are good about giving spontaneous hugs and kisses to each other, and to us. Cutest thing ever was them holding hands while asleep our first night in Moscow. They were so tired and so scared and I was so happy they had each other. Makes me all teary now when I think about it- dumb, I know but it must be those new mommy hormones or something....

Anyway, back to the weekend- the park was fun but pretty stimulating and so we took it easy at home for the rest of the day. On Sunday Great-Grandma Carol, Great Aunt Gwen, Great Uncle Bob and their daughter Hannah (so cousin?) all came over to meet the kids and play with them. Because it is so hot we had a good time outside, playing in our "pool", blowing bubbles and playing ball. The kids really warmed up to Hannah and Gwen so that was cool. And they were so tired, because of their very very little sleep Saturday night and Ana's refusal to nap Sunday, and subsequent massive meltdown, that both were asleep before 9pm. Now this is a miracle in our house. It is true that Sasha woke up several times in the night and poor Aaron went in and laid down with him (not comfortable for A. as Sasha is currently sleeping on the floor on a mattreass due to his propensity to fall out of bed and his fear of his bed- long story, for a different day) for an hour at 3am but still we did get some sleep! This is a good thing for sure. Now, how can we make that happen everynight?

A good weekend had by all. Off to work for me now.

SKB

Random Musings

Hi-

So the babies were super cute this morning- very snuggly and I got kisses from both on my way to the office! Now, if we could just get them to kiss Aga (or be in the same room with her) that would be awesome as the whole family would be together!! It is hot here in Seattle today and the kiddos are making full use of the luxurious, high tech, kiddie pool (ha,ha - a piece of molded plastic) we picked up at Fred Meyer- Sasha prefers to swim 'au nautrel' in the buff while his sister has more wading and splashing in her than actual plunking down in the water. Now that we have decided to join the family on the annual fabulous vacation in Mexico this November we need to get the babies really swimming so they can enjoy the Riviera Maya with the best of them. Swimming lessons at the local pool are scheduled to start as soon as the chicken pox is fully gone and will be intensive!!

I have been reading the WSJ this morning and looking at all the back and forth between the US and Russia on choosing sides etc and I realize that we were so lucky to get out of Russia on Tuesday August 5th. I know that there is no physcial danger in Moscow and that things will cool down between the US and Russia in terms of words exchanged heatedly over Georgia but I would be a basket case if we were still in country with the little ones. Just because I would be worried that someone would decide not to grant the visas, or to delay our return, or make things more difficult than they already were. I feel like we were truly blessed to get on that plane and come home that day and that we are very very lucky to have our children home safe and sound. To think that all of the hostilties etc started just 48 hours after we left, makes me really think Queen Markell and the other angels had a hand in the kiddos staving off the chicken pox until we were in US airspace.

My heart goes out to everyone still in process; I cannot imagine what you are going through and I hope with every fiber of my being that the dumb politicians can stop their posturing and swaggering around and that none of this affects adoptions. Children should not be political pawns and families should not be held up because of political differences. Okay, off my soapbox for today- I just wanted to say how lucky we feel to be home each day.

That's it for today. :)

SKB

And we have.....some regression.

Hi Everyone-

Well last night was pretty rough- it took over 3 hours to convice Ana to go to sleep- she was having none of it. Just was amped up and all over the place. Sasha fell asleep an hour in but the poor baby woke up about 7 times in the night, crying and upset. He was having terrible nightmares I think. Anyway, it takes some time to get him settled back down and so it was an "in and out" night all night in their room. A bit tired this morning.

And it looks as if we have a wee bit of regression on Sasha's part - he has decided that he is no longer completely potty trained, though until yesterday he was... He will say he has to go, actually go into the bathroom and stand next to the potty and then go in his diaper. It is a bit odd and we are hoping with some gentle encouragement it will stop and he will go back to loving the 'big boy' ness of being fully trained. I am glad however that we have been keeping him in pull-ups at night - at least he isnt going in underwear.... Or maybe we should let him do that and it will remind him why he likes the potty. Any advice would be welcome on that one. :)

Today Papa brought the kiddos to Mama's office to check it out- and because Mama is silly and left her cell phone on the table! They love going in the car and since they are still not allowed to go to the park or anyplace fun (in case they are still contagious, which I think they are NOT but we are waiting until the last spot goes) the office seemed like a good adventure. Sasha thought it was fun to come in and look at his picture on the wall and see my toys (I have clients who own toy companies so there are actually some real toys in here) but Ana did not like it one little bit. I think it was a bit scary for her as she has only seen me in the "mama" setting. Oh well, we will all figure it out I am sure. It was a quick visit and now they are off to home because Babuska Marta is visiting today!

That's all for now- hope everyone is having a good week!

SKB

Aaron the Uber Dad

Hi!

So yesterday was Aaron's first official day as a stay at home dad. He was awesome- not only did the kids have an awesome day but he was able to do dishes, fold laundry, clean the bathroom - all at the same time. I never ever would have been able to pull that off!! YAY Aaron! The kids were a bit miffed at Mama when I got home from the office (early!) because, well, I think they were not expecting me to be gone so long but it is a transistion on all sides and we will figure it out I am sure.

I dont have long to blog but I did want to post some more pics of the kiddos- because they are so cute (even with chicken pox). Here they are playing super hero in the apartment in Moscow and then a couple from home this week.

SKB

Monday Morning Blues

Hi All!

Now we have been home for almost a whole week! The kids still have the chicken pox but I think we are on the back side of it- hopefully!! We are all slightly stir crazy due to the 'quarantine'. Aaron and I have been taking turns going out to do errands etc and that has been nice but the kiddos have really just been inside and in the back yard for days now! Yesterday we did take them for a drive - mostly for a change of scenery. Sasha loves everything about being in the car and was happy as a clam. Ana was not so sure- she was very very worried and anxious basically the entire time- I am not sure if she thought we were taking her someplace else or what (though we talked repeatedly about how this was just jaunt for fun and we would be going right back home)- she was very excited and happy when she saw the house again.

Things are going pretty well - we had a little visitor yesterday - our friends K. and C. came over with their daughter E. She has been vaccinated for the chicken pox and if she did somehow get it K & C are okay with that. This was great as I think the kids were really beginning to wonder where all the other kids were. Great times were had all around and it was super nice to see K & C and E. again!

Poor Aga- she has had the hardest time so far I think. The kids are VERY VERY SLOWLY warming up to her. We had her stay with a friend until Thursday and then when we brought her home we tried to introduce her to the kids but they were absolutely terrified. We had shown them video and pics and the like and they love to talk about Aga and the idea of having a dog but when she came trotting in they absolutely freaked out. We were sort of thinking this might happen so we installed a zillion baby gates. Right now we are living in a segregated house - they can see her sometimes through the gates and other times she is outside while they are in and vice versa. She also has to sleep in her crate till we get this sorted as she cannot be in our room if we are constantly in and out of the kids room. Poor doggie is so confused- this is not what she is used to at all and for it to be like this after we have been gone so long is really bumming her out I think. So far we have gotten Sasha within 2 feet of her and Ana hasnt come anywhere near that close but I think it will take days and days until there is no screaming. Aga has been great though- very soft and docile whenever she seems them staring at her through the gate. She basically just sits there and wags her tail- saying, "come on kids, I am cute and fluffy and awesome. Please love me". Hopefully soon.....

Today I have to go back to my office. My clients have all been very very patient with us as we traipsed around the world making our family and I need to also give them some attention- as it is our livelihood after all! So, this morning I am up early- dealing with dumb email server problems (of course, worst day possible so why not) and trying to both get ready to do to the office and get breakfast for the currently sleeping kiddos. I am very torn about going back to work. I really like what I do and think that I am pretty good at it but it is hard to leave the kids all day so soon. They are attaching super well to Aaron and less so to me so it is sort of hard as I know I will lose some precious time with them. Plus, it is HARD to keep up with the 2 of them and I feel bad for leaving Aaron here all alone for hours on end. He is great though and i know will do super well- it is just mommy guilt setting in. Sigh.

Oh well, gotta go get my act together. :)

Shhhh.... They are sleeping!

Hi!

I know I havent blogged in a day or two but it has been a bit of chaos here! So, after the baby home doctor decided they had not been exposed, and the Embassy doctor agreed that they were clear to fly due to the time elapsed guess who got the chicken pox as soon as we got home? Ana and Sasha (so nice to use their real names!). Yup, the night we got home. So, we have two scared and itchy babies on our hands. They are troopers though!

We have been settling in- everything is as it should be- major tantrums, refusal to eat more than 3 things- apples, bananas and cheerios, and refusal to sleep. :) But tonight, they are both asleep and it is only 7:30. I think that the last 2 nights- with a combined total of 4 hours of sleep, combined with the itchy sickness has finally caught up with them. Hopefully they will sleep for several hours!!!

They did great on the planes- not to many tears and all in all good times had travelling. Apple juice in the sippy cup really helped Sasha on landings- thanks for the advice! If only the security people in Chicago had not been such jerks I could say that our 26 hour odyssey home was okay. But man, they were. We had to basically strip the kids down at the security checkpoint- take off their shoes, their sweaters etc. Now, this did not make them happy at all. I sort of lost it at this point because the guys were so lame about it and would not let poor Sasha be carried through the metal detector - he had to walk, screaming, in socks through to me. It was tramautic to say the least. But we prevailed, made our flight and were met by Beth and Babuska Marta and Dyudeska Craig at the airport! Thanks guys- it was beyond awesome to see faces of love at the airport!!

Marta, Poppy Nick, Elizabeth, Jane, Max and Sarah all visited the next day and the kids were cute, if cranky, for all the guests. Sarah and Max brought Sasha is first chocolate chip cookie and he warmed up right away- Ana wasnt so sure about the cookies but I know she will come around. :)

We have been playing in the yard alot and they seem to really like that- thank goodness it is sunny. The kiddos cant leave the house for several days due to the CP and we cant wait for them to be better so they can meet all their new little friends! I am sure by the time our 'sick time' is up we will all be so ready for some fun and socialization but this forced cocooning is also good for us I am sure.

So, that is the latest- we are tired, our house is a mess, but the babies are cute and happy (most of the time) and sleeping they are just angelic.

Love to all,
SKB

And Introducing for the first time.....

Anastasia Austin Brand- 11/30/04 and Alexander Sterling Brand- 3/31/06!!!

Finally home. Happy. Tired. Write more later.

Love,

Us

Last Night in Moscow

I feel like we should be celebrating!

Tonight is our last night here - Orange is already asleep and Apple looks like she will go down relatively easily too! Now, we have to pack up everything that is scattered around the apartment and it is a mess! That will take hours to be sure but who cares- we are finally really coming home!

We went to the Embassy today - pretty well fortified! I guess some cold war relics die hard. And after some confusion about which room we were supposed to be in we paid our $800 for the paperwork and then were given our super secret sealed envelopes - these are what we give the UCSIS person in Chicago. They told us a zillion times to not open it - wonder what is in there??? Not planning on finding out - we will follow their rules. We also got the kiddos passports back (russian, american get sent later) and the official adoption documents and all the stuff we had to turn over Friday in order for the Embassy to check us out and make sure the kids were not felons or whatever it was they did with it.

It has been a very very long trip and tomorrow we have to leave our apartment at 10am, drive over an hour to the airport, then catch a 2:30pm flight (dont ask why we have to be there so early- I was unable to get a straight answer but that is the plan) and then 11 hours to Chicago. In Chicago we clear customs and Apple and Orange become US Citizens in some dingy customs office at O'Hare. Sort of anti-climatic if you ask me.....Then another wait and then the flight from Chicago to Seattle- another 4 hours. So, a total transit time of 23 hours - until we land in Seattle, if all goes well. This is quite the undertaking with two toddlers so wish us well!

Love to all and I will officially "unveil" Apple and Orange - names, pics and everything once we are safely home!

SKB

Mama, is it time to go home yet?

Hi Everyone!

So, another day in Moscow. It was very very rainy today so we stayed pretty close to home. This morning at 9:30am (very civilized hour) the doctor from the Embassy came to call. He pronounced the children healthy- Orange has a cold (still!) and he thinks he may have a Vitamin D deficieny - which milk and sunshine will cure lickety split - but other than that they have been given a clean bill of health- which means that if all goes well at the Embassy tomorrow we will actually, truly, really leave on Tuesday!!! YAY!!!

So, as many of you know we have been talking to the kids about home, showing them pictures of everyone, talking about the family etc. They know that we are going to "nasha dom" (our house) the day after tomorrow and today we played a game about leaving. They seem excited to get to our house and I hope that this excitement does not fade. I am not sure Orange really realizes that this means he will have to get on another plane....but with the cough medicine decongestent the doctor prescribed this morning maybe his poor ears will be better on landing and we will not have the scary total meltdown experience again?!?

Other than that a day of play in the apartment- again, so glad we are in an apartment even though it is "more work" because it gives us a place to really spread out and play - rather than a hotel where we would have less private space. Each kiddo had a couple meltdowns today - mostly about toys and bath time and bed time but we made it through. It only took us 1 hour to put them to bed tonight!!!

I did go out for a quick shop at the 'mall' across the street and bought Apple a new sweater as she is cold if it is not super hot inside (baby homes tend to keep the heat at 80 in the winter and as you know in the summer it is a zillion degrees in Siberia) and so off I went in the rain to the fanciest mall of all time. I got her a sweater that cost more than any piece of toddler clothing should ever cost but she loves it- it is pink with shiny buttons and she thinks it is perfect. And she isnt cold anymore which is all a mother can ask for. It was very surreal to tell the shop girl that I was shopping for my DAUGHTER -- almost teared up right there in the store! It felt natural and crazy all at the same time.

Side Note: I have decided that Moscow is like Las Vegas, Paris and New York all rolled into one. Totally glizty and nouveau, great architecture and of course history and lots of hustle and bustle- this is one ridiculously amazing city. Someday we will be here and be in the mood to explore it but right now we are all about "cocooning" with the kids before our odyssey of a trip home begins on Tuesday.

Tomorrow we are off to the Embassy- I will let you know how it goes!

Love,
Us

Moscow - Red Letter Day

Hi Everyone,

So guess what- we got the babies to sleep last night at 10pm- only 2 hours after we started, and they slept in their room (here at the apt) and didnt wake up until 5am!!! So no one slept on the floor, no one cried ALL night or did any scared sitting up all night- actual sleep, for 6 hours.

Of course, the minute that they went down we crashed- HARD. So, that was pretty exciting.

This morning was fun- Apple really finally warmed up a bit to me- she has been a 'daddy's girl' since the beginning and not wanted anything to do with me at all for the last 2 days- no playing with me, no dressing, no snuggles, nothing- only Aaron, everything Aaron. This is normal in the beginning apparently due to stress and fear and i am trying very hard not to take it personally. But today we had some one on one play time while Aaron was showering and Orange was "reading" and it was great. We played tickle tag and everytime i caught her she gave me a kiss- and it was all her idea. So that was very happy time for Mama.

Then we went on a private tour in Moscow that I arranged through our apartment rental agency. It was great! We had a nice driver and a tour guide and a small mini van and we drove around the city and saw the sites. We didnt have to deal with any big tours and we got to take the strollers and wheel the kids around the different places we got out to walk. We saw a lot of places we would not have had time to find or see and it was much easier with the kids to do it this way. I actually highly recommend it. You can also take a fancy Mercedes if you choose... :)
What really suprised me was how romantic Moscow feels- it sort of feels like you are in a novel and you can just see yourself draped in fur and jewels in some sort of winter romance. I think we will come back here someday just the two of us! And for those of you that were here years and years ago I cant tell you how cosmopolitan it is now- crazy spendy but very nice and comfortable- after the grittiness of Novosibirsk I am in heaven at the grocery and just as a result of the selection. And if I need to go to Ralph Lauren or Armani (hahaha) then they are just down the street!

We got out at the Kremlin, (which, unfortunately, was closed due to Navy Day today), at the cathedral and at the highest point in the city - where there is a park and lots of people posing for wedding pics- the wedding dresses here are huge- it is funny that women who wear barely any clothes 99.9% of the time wear dresses that are bigger than anything Scarlet O'Hara ever pulled off for their weddings. They must want to even the scale on total fabric usage or something. We also went to a cool (and spendy) store where they sold the faberge egg necklaces that I have really really been wanting so I spent much more than I should have on the good ones, not the street stall type. But they are cool and I like them- alot. One will be a good present for Apple someday as well.

Then back home for lunch and "nap time". Though Orange fell asleep in the car at the end of the tour he cried his little eyes out when it was time to nap. 25 minutes of screaming followed by passing out- he is asleep as I write this! And Apple, well, she is sitting quietly and playing with her doll and she is in bed and that is honestly the best we can hope for with her at nap time at the moment- she may be out growing the concept a bit so we have decided to let it go. We give her snuggles for 1/2 hour and ask her if she needs anything and check on her every 10 minutes during the nap time (which she secretly loves and she often seems to need something- water, potty, a kiss on an invisible boo-boo) so it works out all around. Maybe less sleep but at this point lets just get through this!

So that is that. Tomorrow we have the medical exam for the US embassy and then Monday we have our interviews there- I hope Apple and Orange do well (they are toddlers, so I am thinking they will pass!) I want to post pictures and I hear that now that they are ours officially from a Russian perspective I can but I am superstious and waiting until we are actually home and done - so next Tuesday if all goes well!!!

SKB